Another New Year

The Packhouse

 In the month since my last post, we have had two snow storms (one of them major), an ice storm, and record setting cold temperatures.  It has made working in my little shop a challenge.  I have a small oil filled radiator that keeps the chill down to tolerable and take a jug of hot water out to use when I throw pots, but the water cools off within an hour and heater can't keep my toes from going numb with cold!  I really would like to install a solar collector to generate some heat, but I need to figure some way to store the heat out there that doesn't take up too much space.

Toisnot Tea Bowl

Dan Finch made each of us in the studio a tea bowl with his new blend of native and his commercial recipe clay that he calls Toisnot pottery. It has a really nice rugged texture and natural look.  It is definitely a centerpiece in my growing collection and one that I prize.

 
Christmas was wonderful.  All three boys and their partners were here, enjoying food, company, snow, and even lack of electricity.  Watching all of them play in the foot of snow brought back memories of the past and their heavily endowed snow woman lasted quite a while after the rest of the snow disappeared.



 

Over the holidays, I did not throw a single pot for almost three weeks - partly because of the cold and partly because of being busy.  I did manage to get a few things done right before the holidays.  The face jug is sort of a self-portrait.  I haven't shaved in 7 months, so the beard is getting pretty long.  That meant that a tall jug was in order.  The cat jug was at Susan's request.  She really thinks a whole line of animal jugs would be popular. The lidded jar was one I threw for a friend to use as a Christmas gift.  I have been trying to master using Willie Helix glaze - a warm, but somewhat finicky green glaze.  I thought it came out well on the jar.  Since the New Year, I have spent many evenings in the shop as I begin to rebuild my inventory.  I am hoping to do a large three-day show this summer, so I need to have plenty of pots to take.  And there's the Sip-&-See in April, and maybe a spring open house . . .the New Year is filling up fast!

Reindeer Bear

More Than the Turkey is Stuffed!!!

You know, the best thing about Thanksgiving dinner is all the leftovers.  I think I like the leftovers as much or more than the regular meal.  The problem is that it is like nonstop eating until they are all gone - so I am stuffed!

Since Thanksgiving falls on a Thursday (Pottery night), I did not go into the studio this week - yet.  I may go in sometime over the weekend just to drop off my latest work to be bisque-fired.  I saw an article in the latest Clay Times magazine on making jug pitchers and tried it out for myself.  It realy works out pretty easy.  Maybe I need to add a face to some of them to turn them into Face Jug Pitchers.

I also started working on replenishing my supply of face jugs since I sold all I had at the Finch Open House.  Everyone has been remarking lately on how "big" my beard is getting these days so I thought I would do a jug with a big beard, as well.  The cat jug was on a whim - I had made a cat mug last year for one of my boys and it went over well, and I think I did make a cat jug that sold pretty quickly at the Heart of Virginia Festival in Farmville last May, so I felt like it was time for another.  Maybe it's time for a whole line of animal jugs!


I hope everyone has had a great Thanksgiving holiday.  The holiday season is really getting under way, now.  I have been listening to Christmas music for the last month and I am ready for it!